ROUNDUP; United States Tops Japan and Will Play for Gold

By JOHN BRANCH and JEFFREY MARCUS

Published: August 20, 2008

BEIJING -- The United States softball team needed extra innings to beat Japan on Wednesday, but put itself into another gold-medal game thanks to the pitching of Monica Abbott and a three-run home run by Crystl Bustos.

Abbott pitched eight innings and struck out 11, and Bustos followed a run-scoring single by Caitlin Lowe with a no-doubt drive to the left-field bleachers, lifting the Americans to a 4-1 victory in nine innings.

Team USA is 8-0 and has won 22 Olympic games in a row dating to 2000.

The scoreless game went to extra innings, where international rules place a runner on second base -- the batter who made the final out the previous inning -- with no outs.

Natasha Watley, the lead-off hitter, opened the top of the ninth inning on second base. Lowe grounded a ball up the middle that tipped the glove of the shortstop Rei Nishiyama. Watley raced around third to score, jubilantly jumping into the arms of teammates in front of the dugout.

Two batters later, relief and joy spilled from the American dugout to greet Bustos at home plate. After Abbott allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth, Cat Osterman entered and closed out the game.

In the unusual playoff format, Japan will play Wednesday night against either Australia or Canada, with the winner advancing to the gold-medal game on Thursday. The loser will be awarded the bronze medal.

The gold-medal game will be the last Olympic softball game until at least 2016; the sport was dropped from the program effective after the Beijing Games.

The International Olympic Committee contended that the sport had not grown sufficiently internationally, but it was surely influenced by the dominance of the United States at the highest level.

At the 2004 Athens Games, Team USA went 9-0 and outscored its opponents by 51-1.

The United States has been just as good this time, outscoring the opposition by 57-2.

The United States beat Japan, 7-0, in five innings in the preliminary round. But Japan has long proved to be the Americans' most formidable opponent. Team USA was a relatively ordinary 12-6 against Japan in international competition since the 2004 Athens Games. The last time the teams played before the Olympics, in November in Japan, Team USA won, 3-2, in 11 innings.

ARGENTINA WINS IN MEN'S SOCCERSoccer is a second-tier sport at the Olympics -- largely a youth tournament, barely tolerated by FIFA. But the sport's claim on the emotions of fans is undeniable, especially when two of the most glamorous names in this tournament are set to duel: Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi.

Ronaldinho and Messi, the former Barcelona teammates, play for Brazil and Argentina, which gave the semifinal game here Tuesday more cachet than the Olympic soccer tournament usually garners.

But what was billed as a t?-?? between the fleet Messi and the crafty Ronaldinho was in the end a hard-fought clash between historic rivals, marred by numerous fouls and two ejections for Brazil. Argentina won, 3-0, on two goals by Sergio Aguero and a penalty kick by Juan Rom?Riquelme. It will try to become soccer's first repeat gold medalist in 40 years on Saturday, when it plays Nigeria in the final. Nigeria defeated Belgium, 4-1, in Shanghai. JEFFREY MARCUS

U.S. WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL WINS The United States rallied to defeat Italy on Tuesday, advancing to the women's volleyball semifinal round.

China will face Brazil in the other match. China, which won the gold medal in Athens, won, 25-22, 27-25 25-19, against Russia. (AP) MEDAL ROUND FOR U.S. BASEBALL The American baseball team advanced to the medal round with a 4-2 victory against Taiwan, powered by John Gall's go-ahead home run and a solid outing by pitcher Brandon Knight. The final preliminary test comes Wednesday against the medal favorite Japan. The semifinals begin Friday. (AP)

RUSSIAN WINS 10K SWIM Larisa Ilchenko of Russia won the gold medal in the women's 10-kilometer marathon swim Wednesday, an event making its Olympic debut.

Keri-Anne Payne of Britain took the silver in 1:59.40.7. Her teammate Cassandra Patten earned the bronze in 1:59.42.3. Natalie du Toit of South Africa, an amputee who removed her carbon-fiber prosthetic left leg before diving in, finished 16th. (AP) AROUND THE GAMES The reigning world champions Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser will play for the gold medal in beach volleyball after they beat Georgia, 21-11, 21-13, in the semifinal Wednesday in one of the quickest matches of the Olympics. ... Germany's Jan Frodeno, who was seventh at last year's world championship, worked his way past a pack of foes with more glittering r?m?and won the gold medal in the men's triathlon. The top American was Hunter Kemper, who finished seventh. (AP)

PHOTO: The United States softball team celebrating after Crystl Bustos hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning against Japan. The Americans pushed their Olympic winning streak to 22 games.(PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE RIEDEL/ASSOCIATED PRESS)